Max Scherzer is shown talking to the media during the Detroit Tigers annual caravan in a Thursday, Jan. 23, stop at the West Michigan Whitecaps Winter Banquet.Andrew Kuhn | akuhn@mlive.com

GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Detroit Tigers fans might be surprised to hear what Max Scherzer’s most memorable moment was from the 2013 season.

Keep in mind that the 29-year old right-hander went 21-3, won the Cy Young Award, started the All-Star Game and helped pitch the Tigers to their third consecutive divisional championship and past Oakland in the playoffs.

That’s not what Scherzer highlighted, though, when he participated in Thursday’s Whitecaps Winter Banquet at the DeVos Place in downtown Grand Rapids.

“Oh yeah, it was when I hit that double against (New York Mets’) Matt Harvey,” Scherzer said. “That was my favorite moment, favorite game.”

And what was Scherzer’s favorite post-season memory?

His relief performance against Oakland in Game 4, when he worked his way out of a bases-load, no-out jam in the seventh inning to preserve a 5-4 lead, ranks up there, too. The Tigers, trailing 2-1 in the series, eventually won the game, then won Game 5 in Oakland.

“That was one of my favorite moments of my career,” Scherzer said. “It was an elimination game, your backs were against the wall in a one-run game with the bases loaded, and to get out of that, that is something you just dream of. To actually do it, to do it in the postseason in an elimination game, that’s something you never forget.”

Scherzer did plenty of reminiscing during Thursday’s stop, and he had plenty to discuss. Last year was Scherzer’s best.

But he talked about the future, too. Scherzer avoided arbitration on Jan. 17 when he agreed to a $15.5 million salary for 2014.

While Scherzer will be eligible for free agency after the 2014 season, he said he is still hopeful that a deal with the Tigers can be made prior to the season’s start or after the year.

“I’m not in control of it,” Scherzer said. “Hopefully, we can get something done before spring training. If not, maybe we can complete this at the end of the year in November. That’s just the way these things are handled.”

Sure, Scherzer had a relief performance that he will never forget, but don’t look for him to fight for the closer role, anytime soon. He will be content to turn the ball over to Joe Nathan. The Tigers signed the free agent in the off-season after Nathan recorded 43 saves for the Texas Rangers last season.

“You are getting one of the better closers in the game right now, if not the best closer. He’s lights out. You give the ball to him and he slams it shut. It’s a huge quality to have on your team. He will help stabilize the pen and allow others to settle in different roles. I’m happy he is part of the team.”

The addition of Nathan gives the Tigers one of the game’s top closers, and he will join a team that has two of the game’s top starters in Scherzer and Justin Verlander. Verlander underwent core muscle surgery two weeks ago and is expected to be ready for spring training. Scherzer said he hasn’t talked to Verlander about the rehabilitation.

Not all of last year’s memories are pleasant ones for Scherzer. He said the loss to Boston in the American League Championship Series still hurts.

“It stings because of the nature of the postseason,” he said. “You want to win. You want to win it all. But at the same time, you are not going to beat yourself up over it because you realize it’s baseball, and guess what? They outplayed us. That’s the way it goes.

“At the end of the day, we have had the taste of postseason in our mouths now for three-straight years, and that gives us a chip on our shoulders to go out there and take care of business again. We realize the other teams in the American League Central are very good and very talented, and if we slipped up, they are going to get us.”